Hawaiian Airlines Plans to Use Electric Seagliders
Hawaiian Airlines has revealed a strategically investment in a company that’s developing a 100-person capacity all-electric seaglider, called the Monarch. The company, Regional Electric Ground Effect Nautical Transport (REGENT), says it expect its next generation seaglider enter commercial service by 2028.
“Innovative interisland transportation has been core to our business since 1929 when we replaced steam ships with airplanes. We are excited to be an early investor in REGENT and to be involved in developing their largest seaglider – a vehicle with great potential for Hawaiʻi’,” said Avi Mannis, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Hawaiian Airlines. “We look forward to working with REGENT to explore the technology and infrastructure needed to fulfill our vision for convenient, comfortable and environmentally sustainable interisland transportation.”
“Seagliders will be a game-changer for sustainable regional transportation in communities such as Hawai‘i. Through close partnerships with design partners and strategic investors such as Hawaiian Airlines, we can fully understand our operators and unlock their ability to provide zero-emission transportation solutions to their customers,” said Billy Thalheimer, REGENT CEO.
The seaglider operates exclusively over water. It leaves the dock like a boat and rises onto a retractable hydrofoil (a type of underwater fin that is designed to lift a moving boat out of the water). Once it’s out of the water and moving at a speed of 20-40 miles per hour, it transitions to using its wings. Hawaiian Airlines plans to use the Monarch for interisland travel in Hawaii.
REGENT is a venture-backed aerospace and maritime company building all-electric seagliders, zero emission vehicles that provide harbor-to-harbor, overwater transportation. The company says their seagliders with a fraction of the noise, emissions and even cost, of existing regional transportation modes like aircraft and ferries.
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Does anyone remember the old days of the hydro foils? I will be interested to see how this newest rendition works on Hawaii’s windy seas not that it isn’t a great idea for the environment then off course it’s charging and how that is generated.
we shall see